IRISS 31 January 2019
- This review identifies the evidence behind using participation approaches and its impart on health or economic outcomes where participation is an umbrella term for any activity where the general public are involved in developing health and social care services.
- Generally, it appears that co-production methods such as peer support, volunteering and co-delivery of services were beneficial, particularly for more efficient use of services and cost savings.
Key points
•Participation is a priority in many health and social care policies which encourages practice to encompass consultation, engagement, co-design and co-production
•There is evidence that projects and services which use co-production methods, such as co-delivery of services, are beneficial for people
•People who use services make valuable contributions to the design and delivery of health and social care
•There is still a need for more evidence on costs savings, social return on investment and impact on health and wellbeing, developed and delivered through participation
•The long-term effects of participation, particularly indirect effects, can be difficult to measure and attribute to participation approaches
•Key implications for practice: participation approaches such as co-design and delivery of training and more formalised roles must be prioritised to encourage an assets-based approach in everyday practice
•Evaluation of participation should consider the impact on the people who use services which have been developed through participation
